Folding basket



Feb. 26, 1935.

FOLDING BASKET Filed Feb. 23, 1954 N ENTOR QLARE/vcE M. wz/vs ATTORNEYS c; 'M. OWENS r I 1,992,390

Patented Feb. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING BASKET Clarence M. Owens, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Shoup-Owens, Inc., Hoboken, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application February 23, 1934, Serial No. 712,517

1 Claim. (01. 229-41) My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in baskets of pasteboard or other suitable sheet material, and consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter described.

5 The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensively made folding pasteboard basket, which, when folded, lies flat so that it may be economically packaged and transported.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a plan view; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a front view of the article folded flat; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the basket is made.

13 shall describe my invention only in one preferred form, in which 1 represents one section of the side of a basket, the sides and bottom edge of which correspond generally to the sides and bottom of a keystone. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are gen- 2 erally similar'pieces or sections which are attached directly to one or both side edges of the section 1. In the drawing two side pieces are attached to one edge and three to the other edge of said section 1. 7 is a bottom pieceof hexagonal 26 outline. One edge of said bottom piece is hinged ly connected to the lower edge of the section 1,

which edge terminates slightly above the lower edges of the other sections, as appears in Fig. 2.

7' are tongues on one or more of the free edges 3 of the bottom piece 7. These tongues are adapted to enter complementary slots near the lower edges of the side sections when the blank' is set up in basket form. These slots are located approximately on a level with the lower edge of the sec- 35 tion 1, for the purpose later described. Between all of the side pieces 1 to 6 are score lines out"- lining the side edges of said pieces and acilitating the folding of the pasteboard stock. There is also a score line between the sectionl and the 60 bottom piece 7 at the lower edge of the former to facilitate folding. The blanks may be struck out of one sheet of flexible sheet material such as pasteboard of the proper thickness and strength. The free edges of the side sections 4 45 and 6 are brought together and secured by adhesive or any other suitable fastening means. When the sections 1 to 6 are unfolded, they will form a flared ring which constitutes the side of the basket. When thus unfolded, the bottom part 50 7 may be sprung down so that the tongues 7' will I snap into the slits aforesaid in the adjacent side sections, thus not only holding the bottom down in place but also holding the side sections in tray or basket formation. Since the lower edge of the section 1 is on a plane withthe slots in the other sections it is assured that the bottom of the tray will be horizontal, as shown in Fig; 2. When the bottom '7 is struck up from below, the tongues 7-7' will snap out of the aforesaid slots and the bottom 7 may then be folded up against the side section 1, and the sections 3, 4 and 6 may be folded backyagai'nst the underside of the bottom 1. When-the basket blank is thus folded, a multitude of the same. may be packed and transported in very small compass and at a minimum of expense. It will be observed that the upper edge of the section 1 extends above the upper edge of the adjacent sections. This is not essential, but when so constructed it forms, in effect,- a handle, and it also provides an enlarged space to receive printing if that is desired. Such a tray is extremely useful for holding and displaying a number of loose articles for sale and tends to keep the same from being scattered about. I have used the termpasteboardherein in a broad sense, and desire it to be understood that I deem any suitable sheet material that may be substituted therefor as within the scope of that term as employed by me. While Ihave referred to the side sections as having the sides and lower edges correspond in outline to a keystone, I do not thereby wish to have it understood that the invention is limited thereto. So, also, while I have indicated a hexagonal outline of the basket, I apprehend that this may be modified, the important thing being that those parts of the blank forming the flared sides and bottom of the basket shall be capable of being folded together for economy in packaging and transportation, all of said parts being capable of being opened up so that when the bottom piece is in its proper position the flared side portions will be held firmly in position to perform the basket function. What I claim is:

' ,A folding paper board basket comprising an endless outwardly flared ring composed of a connected series of polygonal side sections, a bottom piece integrally connected to the lower edge of one of said sections and shaped to fill the space adjacent to the contracted bottom portion of the ring, the lower edge of the section to which the bottom piece is connected being slightly above the lower edges of the other sections, short tongues projecting integrally from the edges of the bottom piece in the plane of the latter, some of the side Lsections having horizontal slots above their lower edges and approximately in the plane of the lower edge of the section carrying the bottom piece and through which slots said tongues project outwardly to engage fiatwise against the upper and lower edges of said slots to hold said bottom piece against movement up and down when the flared ring is opened up and the bottom piece is in place.

CLARENCE M. OWENS. 

